Godzillus Fossil: What in the World is This Thing?

Godzillus fossil: It sounds pretty darn cool, kind of like something you might find in an old 50's/60's science fiction movie. However, if this were the case, I suppose it would have magically returned to life, devoured most of the Mid-West, and spawned its own Twitter account. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the latter actually happens.

Scientists are currently playing a very interesting game of 20 Questions. Is the mysterious fossil discovered by amateur paleontologist Ron Fine, member of the Dry Dredgers, an animal, vegetable, or mineral?

"We are looking for people who might have an idea of what it is," Ben Dattilo, assistant professor of geology at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, explained to the Dayton Daily News. Right now, scientists are pretty much stumped.

Whatever this thing was during its time on earth nearly 450 million years ago, it was pretty enormous: three-and-a-half feet wide and six-and-a-half feet long, to be exact. The discovery was made in Northern Kentucky, an area that was once submerged in a fishless sea.

The 150-pound fossil is made up several puzzle-like pieces, which took Fine nearly 12 trips to collect last year. "This fossil just kept going, and going, and going," Fine said of his discovery. It is reported to be the largest fossil found in the Cincinnati region. The name "Godzillus", of course, is a reference to the giant cinematic monster that has stomped Japan flat several times during countless cinematic adventures.

Presently, Fine feels his fossil could be either a sponge, kelp, or some sort of seaweed. Only time will tell what, exactly, this curious monstrosity really is.

If you enjoy speculating on such matters -- particularly if you have a soft spot for Lovecraftian lore -- have a look at some of the theories spouted by folks on Twitter. Always a pleasure.